Chapter 085: The Truth Revealed

From beginning to end, in the video, the beautiful waitress Song Xiaojia remained perfectly still. Lin Yu, who sensed something uncanny in this, felt his heart leap into his throat. He considered two possibilities: first, that Song Xiaojia had been drugged; second, that she had already been killed. The second seemed more likely.

Watching the scene unfold in the video, Lin Yu felt a chill creep up his spine, a shudder born of terror. Comparing the bed in the video with the one in reality, he noticed the sheets had been replaced, and the color of the duvet had changed.

Suppressing his growing dread, Lin Yu patiently watched the other anonymous videos, only to find their content nearly identical. Checking the file properties, he saw that the videos had been shot the day before the murder occurred.

Connecting this with his earlier suspicions, Lin Yu’s heart contracted sharply. Without hesitation, he dashed downstairs to find Han Kezhen.

He speculated that Song Xiaojia in the video must have stopped breathing, and Zhao Bo, the murderer, must have hidden her body somewhere in the kitchen.

On the afternoon of the crime, the restaurant’s proprietress and owner assisted Zhao Bo, the chef, in preparing for the dinner shift. Suddenly, the proprietress entered the kitchen in search of something and, by accident, discovered Song Xiaojia’s corpse. Zhao Bo, who was chopping vegetables, then hacked her to death in a frenzy.

After dispatching the proprietress, Zhao Bo squared off with the owner in the dining hall, knives drawn. Soon after, Lin Yu and his comrades burst in through the door.

“Yes! It must have happened this way!” Lin Yu thought as he raced downstairs, piecing the events together. The more he reflected, the clearer and more logical his reasoning became.

Soon, if Song Xiaojia’s body was found somewhere in the kitchen, the truth of the matter would be laid bare.

“What’s wrong, young man?” Han Kezhen, who was smoking downstairs, noticed Lin Yu’s agitation and was immediately alert.

“Here’s what happened…” Lin Yu caught his breath, took a deep inhalation, and relayed his findings and suspicions.

Han Kezhen’s expression changed at once. He frowned, pondered for a moment, then stubbed out his cigarette.

He asked Lin Yu, “Are you afraid?”

“Yes, but for the sake of my brothers and my own innocence, I’ll go in!” Lin Yu’s eyes brimmed with determination, though his calves trembled slightly.

“You’ve got guts and a sharp mind; you’ll achieve great things one day,” Han Kezhen praised, then spoke in a deep, low voice, “Come, follow me in.”

Lin Yu knew that entering together meant searching for the body. Fear was inevitable, but at this point, he had no choice but to press forward.

The two searched the kitchen, moving aside frozen meat and fish from the freezer, and at the very bottom, they found Song Xiaojia’s corpse.

Afterward, Han Kezhen immediately called the forensic team and the criminal police, requesting their assistance.

Not wishing to appear before the other officers, Lin Yu spoke a word to Han Kezhen and left first. Now that the case was about to be solved, he felt there was no need to stay. He considered the credit for cracking the case a gift for Han Kezhen, repaying him for bringing Lin Yu to the crime scene.

Heaven rewards virtue, and a gentleman reciprocates kindness. Lin Yu was no true gentleman, but he understood the principle of returning favors.

Once he settled into the seat of a red Xiali taxi, he noticed his back was soaked with sweat, a testament to the tension he’d felt at the crime scene.

“Tonight, I’m bound to have nightmares,” he muttered as he walked slowly into the Xin Yuan residential complex under the night sky. The copious sweat made him shiver as the autumn wind cut through him, so he unconsciously quickened his pace homeward.

The streetlights flanking the community road were dim, their glow tinged yellow. In their light, one could faintly see the silk trees had finished blooming. Only dark branches and deep green leaves remained, swaying in the wind.

Listening to the rustling branches and leaves stirred by the night breeze, Lin Yu’s footsteps grew faster, his heart increasingly uneasy.

Just as he rounded the corner toward his building, he glimpsed a shadow smoking at his doorway. His heart skipped a beat.

“Who’s there?” Steadying himself, Lin Yu called out loudly when he was about ten meters away from the figure.

“It’s me, Lian Jin.” The shadow extinguished his cigarette and replied calmly.

Hearing Lian Jin’s answer, Lin Yu relaxed, laughing inwardly at how jumpy he’d become. The two sat on a stone bench in front of the building’s fitness area, smoking and chatting.

“I broke Zhang Yang’s arm. That night, I sat here at his building entrance, just as I am now, waiting for him. When he appeared, I knocked him down with a single blow. Then…” Lian Jin took a few hard drags, describing the process with a casual tone.

“I understand. Next, I’ll arrange for you and Ye Ruoshui to stay somewhere safe. Think of it as a holiday; I’ll bring you out soon,” Lin Yu said with composure, his expression void of emotion.

Lian Jin tried to discern something from Lin Yu’s face but found nothing. For now, Lian Jin had no choice but to rely on him, while Lin Yu calmly plotted his next moves in his heart.

As he fell into contemplation, Lian Jin quietly smoked, saying nothing more. Dressed in black, he resembled a lone wolf standing silent in the night.

Knowing when to stop brings clarity, clarity fosters tranquility, tranquility yields peace, peace allows for deliberation, and deliberation leads to accomplishment. Lin Yu, quietly considering his future path, seemed much like a thinker in the darkness.

After a long while, Lin Yu let out a deep sigh and spoke, “Lian Jin, I’ve thought it over. There’s no need for you to hide. I’ll recommend you directly to my father. You can work under him for now, treat it as training. As for the future, we’ll build our own enterprise.”

Lin Yu made this decision after careful thought. On one hand, Lian Jin could hone himself and seize opportunities to interact with influential people. On the other, his father’s faction would use the secret tactics Lin Yu remembered from his previous life to target Zhang Kailai. If Zhang Kailai grew desperate, he might strike against Lin Tiancheng, Lin Yu’s father. Lian Jin’s skills would offer some protection.

Besides, with his father, Lin Tiancheng, the likes of Zhang Yang’s playboy gang would not trouble Lian Jin.

After leaving his father’s phone number with Lian Jin and giving a few instructions, Lin Yu dragged his weary body upstairs.

Unlocking the security door, Lin Yu immediately saw two pairs of stylish women’s shoes neatly arranged on the rack, confirming that Qi Yue and Yang Zhiling had stayed over after dinner.

Qi Yue, who had no one to supervise her, was not a surprise. But Yang Zhiling, whose upbringing was strict, had recently spent several nights away from home, making Lin Yu feel he and Qi Yue had led the good student astray.

Changing into slippers, Lin Yu, feeling mischievous, gently pushed open his bedroom door. A delightful scene greeted him. The two girls were fast asleep in his bed.

Yang Zhiling slept peacefully, motionless, like Snow White in a deep slumber.

Qi Yue, on the other hand, had less decorum, lying face down as usual, one hand mischievously placed on Yang Zhiling’s chest.

“Beauty truly is the best lubricant in a man’s life,” Lin Yu thought, the alluring sight instantly dispelling the discomfort in his heart, a faint smile curling at his lips.